The following story was written by Brady Flanigan, editor of the Trussville Tribune.
PINSON, Ala. (TRIBUNE) — Following an unexpected announcement from the Clay-Pinson Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, March 17, that it would restructure and stop hosting the annual Alabama Butterbean Festival—a move members blamed on new city leadership withdrawing funding in Clay and Pinson—Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders said Thursday that the city would be trying to keep the festival alive and suggested the chamber had painted a misleading picture of the situation.
The chamber’s release left little room for ambiguity. It said newly elected leadership in both cities had chosen not to continue funding the organization “in its current form.” Board President Dean Kirkner went a step further, saying the chamber was “disappointed by the decision from new city leadership to withdraw financial support.” According to Sanders, the City of Pinson had done no such thing…